Elastic lining for walls



UNITED STATES y PATENT OEEIcEO THOMAS BOYD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC LINING FOR WALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,228, dated July 20, 1880,

Application filed February Q0, ISEO.

.To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, THo'MAs BOYD, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Elastic Lining for NYalls and Ceilings of Buildings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, which is a view designed to illustrate a room provided with elastic or resilient surfaces on the walls'and ceiling and integral therewith.

It is a well-known fact that many halls and rooms are aeoustically defective, producing echoes and reverberations to sounds therein, and that in many cases -sueh halls and rooms are entirely useless for lecture, theater, church, and musical purposes. Many efforts havebeen made to cure this defect, such as changing the form ofthe hall or room, or stretching wires across it, or erecting soundin g boards or walls across it. These expedients have in some cases been successful in decreasing the volume or force of the echo, and in a very few instances they have cured the defect entirely; but in the great majority of such cases they have failed. All such expedients are attended with greater orless expense, and in some cases the expense is enormous. This defect is generally due to the throwing back or retlex action of the waves of sound'froin'the hard surfaceof-the walls and ceilings.

I have discovered that if the walls and oeilings are provided with an elastic or resilient surf'ace integra-l with the walls and ceiling the sound-waves are absorbed, instead of being thrown back, and consequently that no echo or reverberation is produced.

My invention, therefore, may be brietl y stated a-s consisting in providing the walls and ceilings of buildings with an elastic resilient surface or lining integral with said wall and ceiling, and I propose to applyit to new buildings as well as to defective ones already constructed.

The drawing illustrates the use of four different materials for this purpose.

The ceiling a is covered with sheets of tine cork which is suficiently elastic for the purpose. These sheets are fastened to the beams or rafters, preferably by staple-headed nails.

' The sheets may be of any desired size and thickness.

The side b is covered with sheets of gelatine, which may be fastened to the scant-lings in the`way described with reference to the cork. The side c is covered with sheets of caoutchouc fastened securely to the scantlings in any desired way. The side d is covered with a composition of cork and animal hair mixed with a glutinous liquid and applied in a plastic state, in the same manner as plaster, to a plain surface of boards, stone, paper, or plaster.- This composition forms the subjectmatter of an application for Letters Patent of even date herewith filed by David B. Mon ris and myself, and is the substance which I consider best adapted for this purpose.

Other substances possessing the required degree of elasticity or resiliency and otherwise suited for the purpose might be named; but the above are suflcient to illustrate theinvention.

The effect of such a lining applied to the walls and ceilings ot' a room is the complete absorption of the waves of sound when they strike them, and the prevention of echoes, reverberation, and similar reactions.

The lining or surface for curingacoustie defects in buildings maybe applied to one or more sides and to the ceiling, if necessary.

In many cases in halls it will be found only necessary to line the ceiling, or in some cases the side opposite to the speaker-s desk or stage.

The wall thus lined may be papered, painted, freseoed, or otherwise decorated in the usual way.

I am aware that hangings and draperies have been heretofore employed, and will in a measure have a like effect, and do not claim the same, as they are objectionable in that they collect dust and dirt and materially interfere with the architectural iinish of the building.

What I claim as inyinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An auditorium or hall having the walls or ceiling, or both, provided with an elastic or resilient surface integral with the wall or ceiling, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I, the said THOMAS BOYD, have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS BOYD.

Witnesses T. B. KEER, JAMES H. PORTE.

IOO 

